Window light and illuminated sign



July 8, 1930. T. w. SIMPSON 1,770,183

WINDbW LIGHT AND ILLUMINATED SIGN Original Filed Jan. 16, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l iii/622m y 1930- I T. w. SIMPSON 1,770,183

WINDOW LIGHT AND ILLUMINATED 516' Original Fil ed Janlle, 1928 s sheets-sheet 2 y 3, 1930- T. w. SIMPSON 1,770,183

' WINDOW LIGHT AND ILLUMINATED siGN Original Filed Jan. 16, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented July 8, 1930 PATEVN TRACY w. SIMPSON, F BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA "wI'Nnow LIGrrrAnn ILLUMINATED srelv Application filed lanuary 16, 1928, Serial No. 247,067. Renewed December 4, 1929. I

This invention has to do with certain-improvements in li hting fixtures and the like; andhas reference particularly to improve ments in window foot lights, etc., such as are used for illumination of store windows. The

invention relates to "improvements in the arrangement ofthe reflectors as wellas means whereby the same lamps which supply illumination for the interior of the window cabinet also provide-the illumination for signs or announcements'displayed through the windows.

' One object of the invention is to "so relate the 1 reflector, the signface and the light Y source, that'the latter will do double duty,

providing the illumination necessary for lighting the interior of the cabinet as well as illuminating the sign'face' This result is accomplished by an arrangement whereby the source of light is placed on the reflecting side of the reflector (preferablyat the reflecting center), the reflector being provided with an" opening through which aportion of the light from said source passesdirectly backwards through the reflector to the sign face. The'arran'gement is also such that the amount of backwa-rdillumination through said openingis sufiicient to illuminate the sign face more or less un'iformly over its entire area.

More particularly, the arrangement is one in which the lamp socket'for the incandescent lamp is placed intermediate between the reflector and the sign face, the incandescent lamp extending through the reflector opening into said socket, but the illuminating center of the lamp or source of light being on the reflecting side of the reflector. The opening in the reflector thus performs double duty 40 in the sense that it accommodates the lamp which extends through it'into the socket, and in the further sense that'it passesthe necessary illumination for the sign face.

Said opening is also made of such a size,

shape and position that the line of cut off for the backward illumination does not'interfere with a complete, illumination of the entire sign face.

A further feature of the invention is to providea cylindrical reflector whichis pro- I of ribs that the the win by the entire structure.

light from the source is reflectedinto OFFICE. 1

dow cabinet substantially. normal to l the axis of thereflector. .This will greatly reduce theside spread of'illuminatio'n and will improve the combined effect produced A further object of the invention is to provide a combined structure performing all the foregoing results in a very compact 'a-rrangement, and'it is also an object to greatly reduce the bulk of thestructure so'that it clvantageously used in show windows where spaceis ofprime importance. 1 1. Other objects and uses of the invention will appear from a detailed description of can be a the same which consists in the features of construction and combination inafter ClGSCllbGCl and claimed.

of parts here.-

In thedr'awingsz' v r Figure 1 shows a face View of a fo ot light unit embodying the features oft-he -present invention and looking towards the display face of the sign, the central portion of the unit being broken away so as to shorten up the figure. r

Fig. .Zshows a view correspondingto, n

1 but looking at the other side of the structure, namely, the reflecting side, as seen from I the inte rior of the window cabinet;

Fig. 3 shows a cross section through the unit taken on the line 33 ofFig. 2 looking in the directionof the arrows but on an enlarged scale;

ljig. 4 shows an end View at one end of the casing, on a scale. larger than that of Fig. 2 and smaller than that of Fig. 3

Fig. 5 shows a perspective of a portion of a. reflecting surface embodying the featuresof the present invention; and l Fig. 6 shows a fragmentary longitudinal section through a portion ofthe reflector together with a pair of adjacent 'l'amps,1and said figure shows the general form and re-. lationshlp' of'tlie reflecting ribs as compared to the li flection.

ght sources so as to secure normal recabinet.

Said channel shaped reflector is provided 3 with one or more lamp openings 11; and the incandescent bulbs 12 are extended through said -openin'gsjso that their stem portions v13 may be threaded into suitable lamp sockets 14 on the convex side of thereflector. Said v sockets 14 are placed at such positions that the illuminatingcenters 15 of the respective lamps lie onthe concave side of thereflecting' unit, and substantially on the reflecting aXis' T "of the cylindrical reflector.

v The openings 11 will allow'a portion ofthe illumination from the illuminating centers 15 to pass'backw'ardly and by properly shaping ,the openings llwith respect to thepositions oftheilluminating centers and lamp sockets .it is possibleto'la-rgely control and predetermine the effect of thebackward illumination Preferably the openings 11 are so placedwith respecttojthe sockets, and the lamps 12' are of such form. that more illumination .is, transmitted'backwardly above the lamp axis than below saidlamp axis as will be readily ap parent fromFigB. y r

. Behind the convex reflector and beyond the positions. of the sockets 14 there is placed a sign face 16,' of transparent. or translucent material. The same may be of suitable form suchas a. transparent or translucent glass 1 plate having opaque raised letters applied 1 thereto.- This sign faceisilluminated by 'for thesign face. A

backwardly traveling rays from t-he center of illumination passing throughthe opening 11,

most of said raysgpassing above the lamp socket 14 andthe base portion of thelamp it self. This is clearly evident from the lines 17 and 18 which more or less define the upper and lower limits of. illu'minationpneccssary x Ordinarily the a 001; light unit W111 be or substantiallength as compared to its Other dimension, inwhich case there will be provided ajnumber of the openings 11 together with lamp sockets and lamps corresponding thereto. The openings 11 will in such case be elongated laterally as shown in Fig. 6 at 19 and 20, asufiicient amount to allow the back- ,wa-rd illumination to spread sidewise sufficiently to give a" substantially uniform il- .luminati'on throughout the. entire'length of 11' there are formedin thereflector a series of vertical or cross wise ribs '21 best shown in Fig 6. These ribs are provided with the re- 7 ,thesign' face. Thisresult may bereadily acj complishedwithout unduly interfering with i the reflection of light forwardly into the to cabinet, due'to the presence ofthe reflecting ribs which'I will now explain.

Intermediatebetween the lamp openings The same includes a passed through the plate '33and other parts fleeting surfaces 22, 23, 24, and 26 which said surfaces are formed on conical angles such that the illumination striking them is cabinet, so that all the reflectionis performed in 1 a substantially parallel manner as indicated by the rays 27 in Fig. 6.- These reflecting surfaces in other words arefso formed as to take account of the principle that the angle of'incidence is always equal tothe angle of reflection;

the si 'n face at the back side'of-the structure but which also lves a substantiall Y uniform illumination of said sign face,"together with a substantially normal reflection of all of the As a matterof convenience in construction the elements already .referred tomay be as sembled into the structure which I will now explain in detail. r

boxglike housing combining-a pair of end sheets .of generally trapezoidal form such as 28 in Figs. 3 aud t. The lower forward portion of the housing is establisl'iedby a sheet 29 which is folded into a generally angular. form, the upper edge thereof being refoldeddownwardly andthen inwardly at30 to establish a lip 31. Theflower edge of the sheet 29 is preferably or? set upwardly as. shown at 32 to accommodatethe thickness of a bottom plate 33.

The ends ofthe sheet 29 are folded upwardly and inwardly as shownat 84 and 35 and 'areprovided with ears 36 and 37 which are extended through slots in the end walls 28 soas to join the parts together.

7 Likewise, there is another sheet 38 which is formed to establish a top or roof 39, together with a bottom portion 40, the inner edge of the latter being offset upwardly at 41 to accommodate the thickness of abottom sheet.

Thecentral portion of the sheet 38 is pressed or drawn inwardly in a suitable fanciful'design as shown at 4:2 and is provided with arectangular opening 43 through which the sign face 16 is displayed. 7 The sheet 38 also has its end portions folded downwardly and upwardly as shown at 14 and provided with'ears45 which extendthrough slots in the end plates 28 so as to join the parts together.-'. w

Thevarious lamp socketsl't are supported by a bracket 16 which comprises a sheetmctal plate folded intothe 'desireclform andhaving the-feet'portions 47 and- 18 by means of which it is mounted upon the base flanges upturned at 32 and tlas already referred to. The baseplate 33 setsuppinto the upset portions 32 and 4:1, and machine screws 49 are so as to jointhem togethera reflected straight out into the body of the J r Thus I have providednot only an arrangement wh ch accomplishes the illuinmatlon of reflected light which isthrown into thecabi- 7 net from the concave reflecting surface.

The plate 46 comprising the support for the various sockets 14 has its end portions closed by end sect-ions 50 which are secured to it and are provided with suitable openings 51 for the accommodation of, conduits or other electrical conductor carriers. Preferably also the end plates 28 already referred to are provided with curved openings 52 in line with the end plates 50 of the socket unit, and said end plates 28 may be rounded downwardly to said openings 52 as shown in 53 in Fig.

Afterwards there may also be provided a stiffener plate 54 within the structure, the same being provided with a top flangc'55 which rests against the roof 39 already referred to; and said stiffener plate is provided with a large central opening of sufficient height and length to pass all of'the illumination from the various lamps necessary for the sign face 16. 7

If desired also another stiffener plate 56 may be provided in the lower portion of the structure, the same being secured to the flange 31 and having its lower edge resting upon the base portion 48 of the socket support.

The reflector 10 is conveniently set into place and supported by having its lower edge rest upon the flange 30 already referred to, and by having its upper edge leaning backwardly against the upper portion of the stiffening plate 54-. In such case the plate 29 should be provided with an upstanding ledge or ear 57 (see Fig. 3) which will support the lower edge of the reflector 10 and prevent it from slidingvforwardly away from the rest of the structure.

When the foregoing arrangement is used the clearance between the ledge 57 and the front edge of the roof 39 shoul'd'be such as to allow the reflector to be conveniently withdrawn from the structure after the lamps 12 have been unscrewed from their respective sockets.

The reflector 10 itself is conveniently made of a sheet of steel or other suitable material rolled into the desired formtogether with its ribs, and afterwards polished and suitably plated to give the reflecting surface.

The sign face 16 is held in place in any convenient manner, as by means of a series of clips 58 on the back face of the sheet 38 properly positioned with respect to the open-.

ing 43.

Vhile I have herein shown and described only a single embodiment of the features of my present invention, still I do not lntend to limit myself thereto except as I may do so in the claims.

I claim 1. A window foot light comprising in combination a curved reflector, a translucent sign screen located opposite to the convex side of said reflector, there being a series of lamp openings located in line lengthwise of the reflector, a lamp socket on the convex side of the reflector opposite to each of said openings and intermediate between the reflector and the sign screen, an incandescent lamp extending through each of said openings and into the corresponding socket and having its center of illumination located substantially on the reflecting axis of the reflector, and a series of transverse reflecting ribs on the concave side of the reflector at each side of each lamp opening, said ribs having their reflecting surfaces so formed that the rays of light incident from the corresponding illuminating center are reflected substantially normal to the axis of the reflector, and the lamp openings I sing so formed with respect to the sockets, illuminating centers, and sign surface that backward illumination from the lamps pass through said openings for direct illumination of the sign surface substantially as described.

2. A window foot light comprising in combination a curved reflector having a series of lamp openings located along its central portion, means for supporting said reflector with its concave surface facing upwardly and in one direction, a'series of lamp sockets at the convex side of the reflector and opposite to said openings, incandescent lamps extending through the openings and into the sockets, the parts being so positioned and related that the illuminating centers of the lamps lie substantially on the axis of the reflector, and so that openings of substantial size are left between the lamps and the upper portions of the respective openings for the passage of backward illumination, together with a sign screen located behind the position of the reflector and sockets and in position to receive the direct backward illumination aforesaid, and-means for supporting the sign screen in such position substantially as described.

3. A window foot light comprising in combination a curved reflector having a series of openings located in alignment throughout its length, illuminating centers at the concave side ofsaid reflector and opposite to said openings, means for supporting said illuminating centers in such positions, a series of transverse ribs in the reflector intermediate between said openings, said ribs being provided with reflecting surfaces of such position and angle as to receive rays of light incident from the illuminating centers androflect said rays away from the concave surface of the reflector in paths substantially normal to the axis of the reflector, together with a sign screen adjacent to the convex side of the reflector and in line with the reflector openings and adapted to receive direct il lumination from the illuminating centers passing through said openings substantially as described.

TRACY W. SIMPSON. 

